1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the manufacture of slide fastener products from an elongate continuous stringer chain and more particularly to a method of and an apparatus for manufacturing slide fasteners in a continuous integrated cycle of operation in which their product length and/or type are variable at will.
2. Prior Art
There are known methods of making slide fasteners from a continuous length chain of stringers to which various component parts such as sliders, end stops, separators and the like are applied. Typical examples of such methods are disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Publication No. 39-19216 and Japanese Laid-Open Disclosure No. 64-37903. When assembling slide fasteners with component parts varying in type, material, color and other characteristics, it was necessary to discontinue the manufacturing operation each time for replacement of the stringer chains, or to use separate apparatus each time assigned to the assembling of specific like component parts, or alternatively to modify the manufacturing systems to enable the feeding and attachment of fastener component parts of different characteristics. These procedures are indeed tedious, time-consuming and economically infeasible particularly where a wide variety of slide fasteners are to be manufactured in relatively small lots to suit the customer's need.